Serena Williams returns: Tennis legend accepts wild-card for Queen’s Club comeback

Paris: Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44 following an absence of nearly four years from competitive sport.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild-card invitation to contest the doubles division at the upcoming Queen’s Club grass-court tournament in London, the WTA Tour announced on Monday.

Williams concurrently addressed the development on social media, publishing a post captioned, “Guess everybody heard the news.” The digital upload featured a video of her ringing telephone, during which she remarked, “I gotta change my number.”

The Queen’s Club tournament is scheduled to commence next Monday, and the WTA stated that Williams will compete “with a partner to be announced in due course.”

A competitive return on grass surfaces will intensify speculation that Williams intends to participate at Wimbledon, which begins June 28. The American athlete has secured seven singles championships at the All England Club over her career.

Williams has not played competitively since her symbolic departure at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she expressed a desire to avoid the term “retiring,” electing instead to describe her transition as “evolving” away from tennis.

“Serena brought the game to another level, and it is incredible for the sport that she’s pushing the boundaries and coming back,” said Martina Navratilova, who previously held the record as the oldest former world No. 1 to initiate a competitive comeback at 43 years and 10 months.

“To many of the younger players, they never had the opportunity to play her; some may have never watched her on television, so this will be a new and exciting experience,” Navratilova added.

The Path to Re-Entry and Player Reaction

Williams, who also possesses 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, restored her competitive eligibility in February after re-entering tennis’ mandatory anti-doping testing pool six months prior, fulfilling the requisite initial step for an official return.

Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated Williams in the contentious 2018 U.S. Open final to secure her inaugural major title, expressed enthusiasm regarding the announcement.

“It will bring people to watch tennis,” Osaka said Thursday during the French Open. “I’m going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I think a lot of people are. Everyone knows Serena and Venus were my role models growing up, so it’s going to be cool to see her on the grounds again.”

Williams recently distributed an Instagram video depicting her training on a hard court alongside her daughter.

“Rumour has it…I got a new trainer,” Williams stated in the digital post. Williams gave birth to her second daughter in 2023.

The official confirmation stands in contrast to her previous public denials. When reports emerged last year indicating she had re-entered the drug-testing pool, she wrote on social media: “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”

A New Generation Awaits

In Paris, defending French Open champion Coco Gauff expressed similar excitement regarding the legend's impending return.

“One of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her,” Gauff said. “It would be cool for this sport to have a legend back playing.”

Eighteen-year-old American prospect Iva Jovic likewise voiced her enthusiasm for the comeback.

“I think it’s amazing. It’s really cool,” Jovic said. “I have never seen Serena in real life. Obviously, I grew up watching her. In my entire childhood, she was dominating tennis, so it’s going to be incredible.”

Like Osaka, Jovic anticipates that the development will elevate the global profile of the sport.

“It’s going to make a lot of headlines, and it’s something that people are going to talk about,” Jovic noted.

Fellow American competitor Madison Keys emphasised the broader cultural value of Williams' presence on the tour.

“Serena Williams playing tennis is only good for tennis. Let’s be real. We all want to watch Serena play tennis,” Keys said, adding, “I mean, you literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court. So why not watch more?”

WTA Chair Valerie Camillo issued a formal statement celebrating the return of one of the sport's definitive figures.

“Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court,” Camillo said. “Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players. Serena is not just a great champion. She’s a successful entrepreneur, a powerful advocate for the issues that matter – and one of the most iconic women in the world. We are thrilled to welcome her back to the WTA Tour at this hugely exciting moment for women’s tennis.”

With inputs from AP